The Los Angeles Lakers lost a battle for a superstar with the Los Angeles Clippers. The last time that happened… come on, that never happened before.

But now Chris Paul is a Clipper and the Lakers are pissed off.

Not really at the Clippers, who Lakers fans never had a rivalry with — they view the Clippers more like your annoying college roommate. And not with CP3, who just wanted out of a bad situation and to find a good one.

The Lakers and their fans are pissed at David Stern.

The Lakers had a trade in place to acquire Paul in a three team trade until Stern killed the deal because small market owners complained that the Lakers were getting better of basketball reasons. Now they see CP3 trade go through and, while you can argue it’s better for a rebuilding Hornets team, you can’t argue that the first trade didn’t give New Orleans real assets. Here is what Mike Bresnahan wrote at the Los Angeles Times.

The Lakers were privately fuming Wednesday, according to a person with knowledge of their front office, when Paul, the New Orleans point guard, ended up in Los Angeles six days after the NBA vetoed the Lakers’ trade for him.

Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak declined to comment through a spokesman but earlier this week said the NBA’s blockade was “completely unexpected.”

Lakers fans have a right to be ticked — but then they need to get over it.

Yes, Stern’s actions in killing the first trade were political not basketball related. It was about appeasing small market owners (and a few big market ones) because those owners wish they had big-move poker playing style of the Lakers.

But the fact is the bigger and better fish — Dwight Howard — is still out there. As great as Paul is, Howard is better and a better fit for Los Angeles. He has to become the focus now. Land him and all is forgotten. Don’t get him and Lakers fans are going to have a lot more anger.

the Wizards have shown little appetite for dealing Otto Porter anywhere for a return heavy on future assets and cap flexibility, sources say

John Wall‘s massive contract looked barely movable even before he underwent season-ending surgery. Washington seems unwilling to take a step back by trading star Bradley Beal.

So, that leaves unloading Porter – who’s earning $26,011,913 this year and due $55,739,815 over the next two seasons – as the obvious way to create cap flexibility and accumulate future assets. If the Wizards are unwilling to do that, it speaks volumes to their plan.

They don’t want to rebuild. They want to win now. Porter can help them do that.

In many ways, it’s noble Washington is so committed to winning, even at great expense. That’s generally what we want from teams. We don’t want them to give up or cut costs just because they’re a couple games out of playoff position midway through the season.

But the Wizards’ spending has been… uneven. Leonsis greenlit a payroll well into the luxury tax and is apparently willing to keep Porter, which likely keeps that payroll high. Yet, Washington is also holding as many roster spots vacant as allowed, offering small savings rather than adding depth amid multiple injuries.

Maybe the Wizards just don’t believe they could sign minimum-salary players who’d actually help. But insurance never hurts on the court.

So, Washington is left looking content holding its few major contracts, nickeling-and-diming down the roster, winning a barely moderate amount and not gaining better position for the future. I’m unconvinced that’s a worthy vision, but if that’s what the Wizards want, keeping Porter helps stay that course.

Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart has been fined $35,000 for aggressively pursuing an opponent in an attempt to escalate a physical altercation and failing to leave the court in a timely manner following his ejection, it was announced today by Kiki VanDeWeghe, Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations.

The incident, which took place after Smart was assessed his second technical foul and was ejected, occurred with 7:35 remaining in the third quarter of the Celtics’ 113-105 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Jan. 19

Smart was seemingly near the line between this fine and a suspension. He’s fortunate to land on the side he did.